Gladiators’ hunk Giant proved he lives up to his reputation both in size and appetite, admitting he munches through an epic 5,000 calories every day to keep his muscles massive.
The BBC star, whose real name is Jamie Christian-Johal, towers over most at a sky-high 6ft 5in and tips the scales at a hefty 20 stone. Chatting with Radio Times, the 38-year-old giant revealed he’s only scoffing half the grub he used to back when he was flexing as a pro bodybuilder.
He told the publication: “I used to be a fireman and then a professional bodybuilder. At the time, my calories were up to 10,000 a day to grow as much muscle as possible. Now, I eat about 5,000 calories.”
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The NHS advises the average man should aim to eat approximately 2,500 calories a day to stay the same weight, or drop to 2,000 if they want to lose a bit of weight each week. Ladies should go for 2,000 or cut down to 1,500 to shed a pound weekly.
(Image: BBC)
So how does Giant pack in 5,000 calories – the equivalent of gobbling up three and a half super-sized Big Mac meals with fries and fizzy drink – every single day?
Dishing the dirt on his extravagant diet, he confessed he consumes “six meals a day, involving whole foods, chicken, fish, carbohydrates and healthy fats”. But it’s fair to say his favourite meal is definitely an acquired taste.
He gushed: “I always make chicken, banana and almond butter bagels – salty and sweet!” Giant shared that he’s not just about lifting weights; he’s got a whole routine to keep him fit and strong.
(Image: BBC / Guy Levy)
He kicks off his day with an early morning walk at 5:30am, followed by half an hour of stretching. After that, it’s gym time where he can lift some seriously heavy weights where he bench presses and squats 160kg, and deadlifting more than 200kg.
Once he’s done filming his workout, Giant relaxes his muscles with an ice bath to help him recover. Then it’s time to head home for dinner, a relaxing bath with a scented incense stick, and off to bed by 9pm.
He also told the outlet that he waited more than four months waiting to see if he landed the job on the show. The real-life hulk explained: “It was a rigorous application process.
“I was invited to Lee Valley Athletics Centre in London, where I was up against 50 to 100 people, with tests including rope climbing, heavy sled pushes and a wrestling event.”
(Image: PA)
Before he became a gym bunny, Jamie was saving lives with Derbyshire Fire And Rescue Service for seven years. But in 2009, he switched to bodybuilding and now he’s the tallest professional in open class bodybuilding out there.
This strong man has shown off his muscles all over the world, turning pro after scooping up the win at the 2018 Amateur Olympia in Italy. He’s also bagged fourth place at the 2020 British Grand Prix and has plenty of other top ten finishes.
This included coming eighth at the 2021 Arnold Classic UK and fifth at the 2022 Legion Sports Fest Pro. Fans will have to stay tuned to see how the competitor will perform on Gladiators this week.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
